The Syrian Arab Republic
- Capital » Damascus
Facts
- Population » 21.1 million
- Major languages » Arabic, Kurdish, Armenian, English, French
- Major religion » Islam, Christianity
- Life expectancy » 74 years (men), 78 years (women)
- Currency » Syrian pound (SYP)
- 1 Syrian pound (SYP) = 100 piastres
- Electricity » Nearly 220 volts / 50 Hertz AC
Geography
- Area » 185,180 sq km (71,498 sq miles)
- A country of fertile plains, high mountains, and deserts
- A Middle Eastern country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Türkiye to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.
Maps
Tourism
- Not recommended at this time (2023.03.18).
- Syria Ministry of Tourism – the official travel and tourism guide. (in Arabic)
Notes
- In February 2023 Syria voted against the UN resolution calling for an end to the war in Ukraine and calling on Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Ukraine.
- Syria was joined by Belarus, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Nicaragua, and Mali.
Safety and Security
- The 2022 Global Peace Index ranks Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Russia, and South Sudan to be the least peaceful countries in the world.
- Advice of Canadian government is to avoid all travel to Syria due to ongoing armed conflict, terrorism, criminality, arbitrary detention, torture and forced disappearance. (as at 2023.03.18)
- Since 2011 Syria has been in a bitter civil conflict initially sparked by the Arab Spring. It has grown into a complex war involving regional and international powers.
At least 500,000 people have been killed in the war and more than half Syria’s pre-war population have fled their homes. (2019)
Syria is the number 1 origin for refugees in the world today, accounting for about 6.3 million refugees. (2019) - Syria is considered to be one of the worlds most dangerous destinations for travellers. (2019)
- The security situation in Syria is extremely dangerous. All government recommendations are not to travel to Syria due to terrorism and civil war.
- On 2020.03.12 Canada and the Netherlands issued a joint statement holding Syria to account
- “Over the past decade, it is estimated that over 200,000 Syrian civilians have died in the conflict and another 100,000 people are missing. More than six million Syrians, who almost lost everything, are displaced and 5.5 million have fled all over the globe.”
- On 2020.03.12 Canada and the Netherlands issued a joint statement holding Syria to account
Government Travel Advice
Posts
Media
Other Resources
- Wikipedia
- Reliefweb
- Amnesty International
- Human Rights Watch
- Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN
- USA CIA World Fact Book
- Nations Online
- Comparitech’s cyber profile of Syria
This page was updated May 22, 2024